Posted on 04/19/2005 5:13:20 PM PDT by Alex Marko
BOSTON (Reuters) - Liberal U.S. Catholics on Tuesday expressed dismay at the choice of a conservative new pope and doubted he will heal an institution racked by disillusionment and tarnished by a sex abuse scandal among the clergy.
The election of Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger as Pope Benedict XVI rankled those who advocate married priests, a bigger role for women within the church and softening its policy on homosexuality, birth control, euthanasia and abortion.
Since taking over the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith as the Roman Catholic Church's chief ideologue, Ratzinger has denounced homosexuality and even branded other Christian churches as deficient.
"Gay and lesbian Catholics are going to be very hurt by this election because Cardinal Ratzinger was the lightning rod for so much of the anger they felt under the previous pope," said Francis DeBernardo, executive director of the New Ways Ministry, a national ministry for lesbian and gay Catholics.
Under the Pope John Paul II, American Catholics' attendance at weekly Mass declined as many were put off by what they saw as increasingly conservative Vatican doctrine.
The sense of alienation deepened with a well-publicized scandal over pedophile priests, which erupted in 2002 in the Archdiocese of Boston as court documents showed bishops shuttled pedophile priests from parish to parish.
Victims of sexual abuse by members of the clergy reacted skeptically to word that Ratzinger was the new pope.
"Ratzinger is a polarizing figure to many, who seems to prefer combativeness to compromise and compassion," Mary Grant of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests said in a statement. "It's ... crucial that the new pope follow the words and views of John Paul II who said 'there is no place in the priesthood for anyone who would harm the young."'
MORE OF THE SAME
Catholics for a Free Choice, a progressive group based in Washington, laid out an action plan for the new pontiff to pursue in his first 100 days with the goal of healing fractures within the church.
It urged the new pope to appoint a commission to review church policy on condoms, to establish a pontifical academy on women's rights in the church, and to welcome back those marginalized over the last quarter-century -- including gays and lesbians.
But those familiar with Ratzinger said to expect more of the same, and they doubted he would tailor his views to adapt to the liberal forces evident in the U.S. church.
"This is the guy who's been in charge of stifling dissent in the church," said lawyer Carmen Durso, who represented dozens of plaintiffs in clergy abuse lawsuits against the Boston archdiocese.
"This says to me that the Vatican ... is not prepared to move into the 21st Century, which it desperately needs to do," said Durso, who was raised Catholic but no longer practices.
Christine Schenk, a nun from Cleveland, Ohio, who favors opening the priesthood to married men, said she was disappointed and puzzled by Ratzinger's selection, but she saw glimmers of hope.
Schenk explained that Ratzinger had never ruled out the idea of married priests, and that the church is facing a deepening shortage of priests -- so he may be forced to act.
In a 2004 document, Ratzinger denounced "radical feminism" as undermining the family and natural differences between men and women.
Asked if there was anything in his background that gave her hope that Ratzinger would build a stronger partnership with women in the church, Quinn said: "We always hope for miracles".
Of course, then would it still be a Roman Catholic church?
There's always that Episcopal church down the street. And the priests even wear Roman collars!
Garde la Foi, mes amis! Nous nous sommes les sauveurs de la République! Maintenant et Toujours!
(Keep the Faith, my friends! We are the saviors of the Republic! Now and Forever!)
LonePalm, le Républicain du verre cassé (The Broken Glass Republican)
Liberal Catholics worship themselves, the rest of us worship Jesus!!
senator edward kennedy expressed dismay that the new pope had never taken dates out in an oldsmobile....
The Liberals won't be happy until Pope Geraldine is elected!
I guess they think the Church is a democracy.
New Democratic Catholic Church Doctrine:
If it feels good do it.
If it feels good do it.
and...
If it feels good do it.
I am a fallen Catholic and while I don't agree with some of the tenets of the Catholic Church, I have the utmost respect for it.
Since I couldn't agree to certain things, I left the church, I didn't complain about it.
I respect institutions with strong principles and if these "Liberal Catholics" don't agree with Catholicism, they should just leave and become UNitarians which fits better into their world view.
Arioch7 out!
I feel their pain.
Tough.
Church is not to be amended to the passing whims of the time. Once you reject the tenets of your faith you no longer are a member of that Faith.
Christianity cannot be moderated to embrace Liberal desires. It exists as is, or it moves to those that will embrace it as is.
Ex. Certain Protestant Churches that have accomodated Liberals are no longer, imo, a part of the Christian faith. Catholic Priests that reject the Church's teachings, no longer have a right to call themselves catholic or especially Christian.
These people are fools if they believe they have the power to overwrite God's Word. Which they do believe. His Word is Absolute. Eternal. Incorruptable.
I hear the US Episcopalian church could use a few more liberals...their conservatives are leaving in droves. We conservative Protestants don't want the liberal Catholics either.
Good. Anytime liberals squeal, something good must have happened. I am gladdened by this selection.
About the sex-scandal stuff: Ratzinger is quite vocally against homosexuality, so he will be VERY diligent in rooting out pedophelic or gay priests. I think the left is crying crocodile tears on this one.
If Pope Benedict had driven Mary Jo home, she'd be a grandmother today.
Serves them right.
Maybe if they read their Bibles a little more and lived by Gods instructions then they wouldnt be having these issues.
Conservative US Catholics Delighted With Choice for Pope
Note to the disaffected, folks, the Catholic Church has been this way for a whole long time. The Church isn't leaving yoiu, you have done gone and left the Church. Take it from a not very religious person, me, you feminists, gays and liberals who are so dismayed with the selection of this man don't have the moral standing generally to wipe this man's shoes. So quite you wailing and moaning, go to a quiet place and think abour your own moratilty and mortality.
BARF!!!
Related thread:
Benedict Showed 2 Sides After Pope's Death ~~ not all are Happy with the new Pope.
very true!
Cardinal Ratzinger: In the Church, priests also are sinners. But I am personally convinced that the constant presence in the press of the sins of Catholic priests, especially in the United States, is a planned campaign, as the percentage of these offenses among priests is not higher than in other categories, and perhaps it is even lower.
In the United States, there is constant news on this topic, but less than 1% of priests are guilty of acts of this type. The constant presence of these news items does not correspond to the objectivity of the information nor to the statistical objectivity of the facts. Therefore, one comes to the conclusion that it is intentional, manipulated, that there is a desire to discredit the Church. It is a logical and well-founded conclusion.
Actually, it was 4% of priests, and over 11,000 different young people were abused, according to the US Bishops Clergy Review Board.
Like JPII, Ratzinger's first instinct is to protect the institutional Church.
I'm still waiting for the companion article about the Catholics who applaud Ratzinger's positions! :-)
"This says to me that the Vatican ... is not prepared to move into the 21st Century, which it desperately needs to do," said Durso, who was raised Catholic but no longer practices."
So if a Catholic no longer practices because she doesn't like the doctrine, is she still a Catholic?
Does she sit in the pew each Sunday under teaching? Does she put into the collection plate each Sunday?
So should anyone care what a cafeteria Catholic thinks when choosing a Pope?
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